On The Ninth Day of Christmas
by PinkFairy727
Summary: ...The Rift Gave To Torchwood Three. A fluffy, pre-Christmas fic in which Team Torchwood and Rhys go ice-skating. Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Tosh/Owen


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Torchwood.

**Authors Notes: **An early Christmas present for choccy_grl and lonelyangel_x. I hope you girls like it.

**Summary: **In which the team go ice-skating.

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**On The Ninth Day of Christmas The Rift Sent To Torchwood Three**

Jack tried not to laugh but he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

It had long since passed midnight and the team- and Rhys had Grangetown ice-rink to themselves. Oh and there were those nine female ice-dancers, wearing glittery black tops and mini-skirts, showing off their dance moves. Jack had nearly forgotten about them, which was impressive seeing as how they all had purple skin and long, shiny, silver hair. The ice-dancers were skating around the edge of the rink, dancing, twirling and racing around the ice, ignoring the team completely.

The team were ignoring them just as much.

Gwen and Rhys were skating along holding hands, talking and laughing together, the pair both comfortable on the ice. Their third date had taken place at the old indoor rink in Cardiff and they still went skating at least once each Christmas.

Owen was reasonably competent but he was greatly hindered by Tosh's death-grip on his arm. She had never been ice-skating before and was quickly deciding it was not an experience she wanted to repeat again. She would take two shaky steps away from Owen before wobbling and clinging onto him again. She tried to hit him on the arm when he started laughing but this caused her to wobble again and squeal with surprise. Owen was helpless to prevent the stream of tears- three parts laughter, one part pain thanks to Tosh's long nails- pouring down his face.

It was none of those things, however, that was the source of Jack's mirth. It was the Welshman sprawled across the ice who had caught his skate on a chip in the ice and gone flying. There was a small rip in the knee of Ianto's jeans but given the death-glare Ianto was shooting his way, promising many unpleasant things if he laughed, Jack figured that Ianto had seriously injured nothing more than his pride.

"Alright?" Jack asked as he extended a hand to help pull Ianto up, his voice slightly higher than normal due to his suppressed laughter. Ianto glared once again at Jack before nodding and brushing the dusting of ice off his jeans and checking nothing else was damaged.

Everyone had been surprised when Ianto had changed into a pair of jeans, half-expecting him to go skating in his suit. The girls kept throwing him subtle glances and checking out his arse whenever he passed. Jack didn't do subtle and on the trip over he had kept up a running commentary of outrageous comments about Ianto and his arse until Owen had threatened to throw him out of the moving SUV.

Owen had look terrified when he first realised that Ianto was wearing jeans. He had seen Ianto out of his suit on two previous occasions, neither of which he looked back on fondly. The first time had been the trip to the Brecon Beacons, when they'd all realised that humans could be more alien than the aliens they were supposed to protect the planet from.

The second time was still fresh in Owen's memory, having occurred just over a month earlier. After that night, Owen had vowed a) never to go back for his wallet if it turned out he had forgotten it, and b) never to check why Jack's office light was still on when the rest of the Hub was in darkness. Opening Jack's office door and finding Jack and Ianto kissing in Jack's chair, Ianto straddling Jack's lap and wearing a French-Maid's outfit was _not _an image he wanted in his head.

There were some things about your teammates that you never wanted to know. He hadn't been able to look Ianto in the face for _weeks. _

People always say bad things come in threes. Owen hoped the worst that was going to happen to him today was the finger shaped bruises developing on his arm where Tosh's nails were digging into his skin.

Happy with the results of his inspection, Ianto turned to Jack, holding his own hand out this time. Jack took it and they set off around the rink again. They didn't talk, just skated in a comfortable silence.

Tosh was now managing to take a few tentative steps on the ice. Owen had finally stopped laughing and was now skating backwards very slowly in front of Tosh, holding both of her hands in his own as he pulled her forward, giving her encouragement and advice.

Gwen was clinging onto the wall at the top of the rink, laughing herself hoarse at Rhys. He had attempted to copy one of the more extravagant moves being performed by the ice-dancers but succeeded only in falling flat on his backside. Jack wasn't sure, but he thought one of the dancers may have been giggling to herself as she went past. Still laughing, Gwen tried to help him up only to find herself dragged down onto the ice by a sharp tug from Rhys. The pair lay on their backs laughing, still holding hands as the others skated around them.

Everyone turned their gaze towards Tosh and Owen after Owen let out a whoop of delight and encouragement as Tosh skated five steps in a row on her own. Her face was pink with delight, whether through pleasure at finally getting it right or because of Owen holding her hands again as they attempted a corner Jack didn't know.

Probably both.

He turned to look at Ianto, who was still by his side. He had seemed different in the run up to Christmas; happier, younger and more carefree. They all did. Jack smiled when he realised Ianto had caught him staring. Ianto smiled back before leaning in to kiss him gently.

"You okay?" Ianto asked, squeezing his hand at the same time. Jack nodded before leading them off again, not realising they had come to a standstill as they watched Tosh and Owen. Jack didn't know why all the ice-dancers had come through the Rift today, nor where they had come from or what they would do with them later. He also realised, that for the time being at least, he didn't care. He had been around the Rift long enough to know days like this didn't occur often and that they needed to cling on to them when they did arrive.

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**Like it? Love it? Loathe it? Let me know :c)**


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